21 actors who played famous musicians in movies

Chadwick Boseman was always the type of actor who was very strategic in the roles he played, especially public figures. In 2014, he starred in Get On Up, a biographical film that followed the life of funk legend James Brown. Boseman had Brown’s dance moves down to perfection and the film helped him earn a NAACP Image Awards nomination for Outstanding Actor. 

In 1993, Angela Bassett played rock legend Tina Turner in the biopic What’s Love Got to Do with It. Bassett has mentioned that she went through strict preparation to prepare for her role, including exercise, diet, dancing, and mannerisms. With her portrayal of Turner, Bassett earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, although many to this day believe she was snubbed on the win. 

Although Jennifer Lopez had several acting gigs in the early ‘90s, her breakout role came in 1997 when she played the late Tejano singer Selena. When it was announced that Lopez was casted, she faced some backlash from the media because they didn’t feel like it was right for someone of Puerto Rican descent to play a Mexican-American. However, the film portrayed Selena in the best light since the family was heavily involved. Selena became a major success and gave viewers a look into the late singer’s life. 

Cadillac Records is a film that follows the life of record executive Leonard Chess and how he assisted Black musicians between the 1940s and 1960s. Beyoncé starred in the movie as blues and jazz singer Etta James, who was guided by Chess as she moved through her career. 

In 2015, Corey Hawkins put the world on notice with his role portraying Dr. Dre in Straight Outta Compton. The film focused on the life and career of the West Coast rap group N.W.A., and Dre’s role in helping to form the group and eventually becoming one of the most recognizable producers in the industry. It goes without saying that Hawkins education from Juilliard School helped him in this role tremendously. 

Throughout Danielle Radcliffe’s career, he’s most notably known for starring in the Harry Potter film series. However in 2022, he took on a different type of role as he starred in the biopic parody film Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. The film is loosely based on Weird Al’s life, but it’s the type of film that embodies Al’s energy as a comedian and musician. 

In one of the most praised biopics, Jamie Foxx portrayed soul legend Ray Charles in the 2004 film Ray. To prepare for the role, Foxx watched old footage of Charles to truly get his mannerisms down and wore prosthetic eyes that made him blind for 14 hours a day while shooting. Although Charles unfortunately passed away before the film was released, Ray was a smash hit and Foxx won the Academy Award for Best Actor. 

Although British actor Kingsley Ben-Adir had several films under his belt such as World War Z and One Night in Miami…, in 2024, he portrayed reggae legend Bob Marley in the biographical film Bob Marley: One Love. The film received positive reviews and won the Best Movie category at the 2024 BET Awards. 

Some people may recognize Rami Malek as someone who played on TV shows like Mr. Robot, a role that helped him earn several accolades including a Critics’ Choice Television Award and a Primetime Emmy Award. Another big opportunity came for Malek in 2018 when he starred in Bohemian Rhapsody, a biopic following the life of Queen band leader Freddie Mercury. The film helped earn Malek several more accolades including the Academy Award for Best Actor and a Golden Globe for Best Actor in Motion Picture - Drama. 

Queen Latifah is the type of entertainer who can do it all—rap, sing, and act. In 2015, she took on the role of blues singer Bessie Smith in the HBO film Bessie. The movie focuses on Smith’s upbringing, love life, music career, and dealing with racism. The film earned Latifah a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Made for Television. 

Austin Butler got his start in television, appearing in shows such as Zoey 101, Hannah Montana, and Switched at Birth . He then moved into films and one of his biggest roles came in 2022 when he starred as Elvis Presley in the biopic Elvis. The film gives a look into Presley’s life including his upbringing, getting into the music business, and his marriage to Priscilla. 

Naomi Ackie is known for playing in TV series such as Master of None and films such as Star Wars: The Rise of of Skywalker. However in 2022, she starred as the late Whitney Houston in the biographical film Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody. The movie follows Houston’s life of getting signed to her first record deal by Clive Davis, criticisms she faced for her music, touring the world, and family life. 

Throughout his career, Taron Egerton has starred in several biopics, but his most prominent one came in 2019 with Rocketman. Egerton takes on the starring role of Elton John, showcasing the singer’s family life, drug addictions, and music career. 

In 2009, Anthony Mackie played the role of Tupac in the biopic Notorious. While the film followed the life of rapper Notorious B.I.G., Tupac is showcased as another rapper in the game, one who was once an ally to Biggie before the East Coast-West Coast rap rivalry led to some misunderstandings. 

O’Shea Jackson Jr. isn’t just the oldest son of rapper Ice Cube, he also portrayed his father in the 2015 film Straight Outta Compton. The film focused on the life and career of the rap group N.W.A., it was Jackson’s film debut. Jackson showcased his father perfectly as not only a member of the group but also as someone who eventually bet on himself and started his solo rap career. 

In 2024, Timothee Chalamet starred in the film A Complete Unknown, a biopic chronicling the life of singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Not only did Chalamet play the lead role of Dylan, but he also produced the film. A Complete Unknown received several Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor. 

In 2020, Viola Davis starred as blues singer Ma Rainey in the film Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, a movie adaptation of the 1982 play by August Wilson. Produced by Denzel Washington, the film follows Rainey as she’s approached by White executives to record an album. The film helped earn Davis an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, and she also won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role. 

In 2019, Renee Zellweger took on the role of actress and singer Judy Garland in the biopic Judy. The film focuses on Garland’s career, family life, and substance abuse. Judy received widespread praise and earned Zellweger an Academy Award for Best Actress. 

Andra Day has the type of singing voice that was made for the jazz era. It’s no wonder she was casted to play jazz singer Billie Holiday in the 2021 film The United States vs. Billie Holiday. Directed by Lee Daniels, the film follows Holiday’s constant legal troubles due to the lyrics in her songs such as “Strange Fruit.” The film helped earn Day a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama. 

In 2005, Reese Witherspoon starred alongside Joaquin Phoenix in the biographical film Walk the Line. The film follows the life of country singer Johnny Cash, played by Phoenix, as well as his romantic relationship with June Carter, played by Witherspoon. Walk the Line helped earn Witherspoon the Academy Award for Best Actress.